


Ages of Calamity

by bermerxy



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Gen, Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:41:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28464018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bermerxy/pseuds/bermerxy
Summary: In the past, Hyrule had become a very advanced civilization, to the point where even monsters did not pose a threat. The citizens of Hyrule decided to use their technology to create tools that would help the hero and princess if the cataclysm were to occur again, however, most of that knowledge was lost throughout history.Now, ten thousand years later, the prophecy announcing Ganon's return has returned.In an attempt to defeat the cataclysm, the kingdom of Hyrule has decided to unravel as much information as possible about this technology in order to repeat the history of the legend once again and keep the peace for ten thousand years more, but the cataclysm is raging and it is not willing to wait.
Kudos: 2
Collections: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild





	1. Foreword

The history of the kingdom of Hyrule goes back to immemorial times, repeating itself again and again, in a cycle with no apparent end. And on each occasion, a hero, from a lineage of knights, fights alongside a princess in whose veins runs the blood of the Goddess Hylia.

Millennia passed, and each defeat of Ganon fueled the legend we know today of a remote passage from ten thousand years ago.

By that time, Hyrule had become a very advanced civilization, to the point where even monsters were not a serious threat to the people of the kingdom. They lived in peace.

The citizens decided to use Sheikah technology to create tools that would help the hero and the princess if the cataclysm were to occur again: they built four divine beasts in the shape of animals, designing them to be controlled by four champions whose talent was unparalleled in their respective races. They also created mechanical soldiers with their own will, whom they called "guardians", who would watch over the kingdom and its surroundings.

And so, the plan to fight Ganon was put into action.

When Ganon resurfaced again to unleash his fury on Hyrule... The princess, the hero, the guards and the four divine beasts piloted by their champions, confronted him.

Although the guards were more modest in size, they were sufficient to defend the hero.

The enormous divine beasts attacked without mercy, diminishing the forces of the fearsome enemy. And when the hero, wielding the sword that bends the darkness, struck the final blow... the princess, heir to the sacred power, finally imprisoned the enemy.

But it was not all puritanical joy: the inhabitants of Hyrule and the royal family began to fear this technology, leading them to the point of excluding the Sheikah tribe, who decided to bury it underground and acquire more primitive living conditions. Most of that knowledge was lost throughout history.

**Until now.**


	2. The first battle - PT. 1

The tension in the air was latent. Soldiers were lying down in perfectly aligned squads under the scorching sun in the parade ground of the castle, with their eyes on the front and their posture straight, protected by platinum armor with the coat of arms of the kingdom of Hyrule on their chests. The aphonia had become the omen of war; if one observed their faces, one would be able to glimpse from nervous expressions to faces tarnished with naive courage. They wielded spears and swords with life depending on them.

The wind blew westward, the flags gallantly raised seemed to dance to their rhythm, the archers ran to guard the towers and walls in complete stillness.

Link clenched the hilt of his sword with resolution as the hum of the cornets echoed in his and his countrymen's ears, the snorts and unrestrained beating of their hearts began to replace the castle's mute sound as they felt, or thought they felt, the magnanimous presence of King Rhoam approaching. Every step he took, every breath, every simple vital function of the sovereign seemed to radiate nobility and power.

The King Rhoam, accompanied by two members of the royal guard, stopped his march in front of the edge of the homage tower, observing his vassals in an imposing silence, which lasted only a few seconds, but for each man inside the fortress seemed to be an eternity.

“Attention, soldiers of Hyrule! We face an unprecedented threat. Many years have passed since the emergence of the prophecy that warned us of Ganon's return. We unearthed the divine beasts, and now we understand better the ancestral relics, but we are still not sufficiently prepared", voiced the man. “The monsters have begun to advance toward us in numbers never before seen. The claws of our enemy are unfolding here, the very castle of Hyrule, even as I speak", he proclaimed, his hand moving gracefully in the direction of his subjects, as if blessing their bravery, and continued. “So, we must finish off the monsters of the plain, this will be our first battle against the cataclysm!”, King Rhoam stopped his speech and gently breathed in the air. Wielding in his right hand a royal greatsword, he pointed in the direction of the plain, and later directed the tip of the blade toward the sky with a gesture that foretold the anticipated triumph and proclaimed a war cry. “Now, go forward, soldiers! Fight for Hyrule!”

“Yes!", replied the recruits, raising their weapons in unison, as if they had been waiting impatiently for that moment, the sound of the metal blades of hundreds of weapons tinkled like a melody that spread throughout the parade ground.

Link's fingertips tingled, looking up at his monarch and far beyond. For a moment, the clear sky became the good omen that fueled his zeal for victory, rather than honor, for his kingdom. He felt as if the Goddess herself was watching them from the ends of the universe.

When the hundreds of knights broke ranks, the sound produced by the sole of their boots dispersed amidst a cacophony of intermingled orders.

As part of a historic family of knights, Link was well versed in the art of the sword and war: the avant-garde was his favorite position. His heart was racing, the guns were in position, ready to attack, and the sparrows were fleeing in terror from afar. Hordes of monsters rushed in their direction at an almost frightening speed.

“We will finish off the monsters with cannon fire!” The commander of the battalion announced. Link kept his eyes fixed on the bokoblins, humanoid beasts with pig heads and coppery red skin, in the vicinity of the ceremonial altar. "Fire!"

The thunderous roar of the explosions disoriented the bokoblins and the impact of the bullets dispersed their forces, the vanguard ran to meet them under the rain of cannon fire, the boko clubs impacted against the rapiers slowing down the march of the Hylians at par with their forces.

“Prepare the next charge!”. Shouted the captain, "Block their advance!”

Link, unlike the other soldiers, did not stop or slow down his attack to go on the defensive. The edge of his sword cruelly cut the enemies, slicing the skin with the meticulous delicacy of a cook of the royal court filleting the flesh of a lively salmon; more than a tool, it seemed to be an extension of the body of the young knight. The cuts traveled from right to left, their fleeting movements standing out over their companions. Link jumped into the air, slashing diagonally the bokoblin's abdomen in front of him with a stoic expression.

As the monsters gathered around him, he charged the sheath of the sword with a crystalline blue aura and, with a twisting jump, swept the enemies in his vicinity, slitting their throats on the spot. Purple blood was spilled on the ground, and a rotten smell invaded the battlefield plagued by chaos.

When the number of bokoblins began to decrease, the second charge rushed to their aid.

“Close the gates!”. The captain's order resounded from the rear, and the lookout rushed to the retaining wall, taking advantage of the opening. “Divide the enemy forces!”

The rake of the wall suddenly were close, the monsters behind it entered a state of chaos and the archers took advantage of the situation to ambush them from the rampart. The shrieks were overshadowed by the sound of the cannon explosions. The moblin, creatures of the same species as the bokoblin, but of great size, were annihilated after receiving the fierce impact of the rifles. The carrier pigeons soon flew out of the wall towards Hyrule Castle.

The remaining bokoblins went mad. They were known to be loyal and vengeful creatures who appreciated the companionship among the members of their group, so their acts of violence only increased. The more inexperienced soldiers were soon overwhelmed, the koyaki formation breaking up amidst their bewilderment.

“Don't let your guard down! Attack!” The commander reprimanded.

Sweat ran down their foreheads, they were thirsty and exhausted. The minutes passed as fractions of seconds. The angry bokoblins were beginning to give way, but so were they. How many hordes were left? What had become of the outpost? Was it a sign announcing their defeat? Despair began to consume the energy of their minds.

Link was the only soldier brimming with energy, he had lost his helmet and shield somewhere in the battle, scrapes and cuts were stretched across his face, some locks of hair had been cut by the swords the monsters had stolen from their fallen comrades, but he still had faith. He felt more and more vigorous, as if the adrenaline had drugged his system. The speed with which he slit his throat and pierced the bokoblin increased, the evasive movements decreased in contrast. He had no pain at all.

The boy soon got rid of his adversaries and attacked his companions, hope returned to them unexpectedly, they were inspired again and the pace of the war turned in their favor.

“We have no time for rest! Advance south!” The orders were issued when the last bokoblin was pierced by Link’s sword. “Let's finish off the monsters!”

“Yes!”

* * *

Casualties were inevitable, blood stained the battlefield. The wounded quickly accumulated; the potions provided by the kingdom soon became insufficient. What could the farmers, who all their lives had been dedicated to agriculture and cattle breeding, have achieved by fighting fearsome beasts using weapons with which they were not familiar? Although they stayed behind, they were the group mainly decimated by their inexperience.

The evening was just around the corner, the Hyrulians were exhausted. The outposts had fallen hours before, their men suffering a cruel and painful death, unable to receive any help.

And amidst the bloodbath, making its way through the sea of corpses, Link continued to advance. His body was heavy, the calluses on his hands and legs had started to bleed, his armor had become a disaster, but he did not stop. His state of mind was more active than ever; he ran among waves of enemies, slitting and piercing anyone who crossed his path. His sword had been replaced several times, looting the weapons of the murdered and broken soldiers.

The homes left behind by the Hylians were in flames, the carts destroyed, the walls turned into bloodthirsty works of art. Each of them welcomed him with a butchery of soldiers and monsters alike.

If Link were asked about some miracle in that war, without any hesitation, he would answer briefly: ‘the citadel’. No civilian sheltered behind the walls had been harmed, which was a memorable fact in his view.

By the time Link reached the first outpost, all he could find were monsters waiting for him. Not surprisingly, he was psyched to see such a scene. But, if it was a surprise, he could easily point out the clumsy sheikah running in his direction, using scrolls to defend herself, with a tired walk and carrying a tablet, of what he could recognize as ancestral technology, in his hands.

“Help me...!” The sheikah shouted when she noticed his presence, the moment of distraction was enough to make her trip and fall against the gravel. The tablet was blown away.

Link recognized her immediately, she was none other than Impa, the young councilor of the kingdom and a close friend of Princess Zelda, as well as one of the matriarch candidates of the sheikah tribe. With his mind still blank, Link increased his career, catching the tablet as a reflex, and charging at the bokoblins surrounding the young woman. Impa created a barrier, barely large enough to cover her, and took shelter inside.

The soldier did not even approach her, but focused his attention on the bokoblin around her and mutilated them without hesitation, the clean cuts sweeping away the blood of his enemies and staining his armor. Impa watched her every move in rapture. She felt like a typical damsel in distress being helped by a prince charming, only she was not a damsel, but a warrior exhausted by constant battles in the course of her journey from Kakariko to the Hyrule Plain, and he was not a prince, but a skillful knight of unknown lineage who was trained in a neat and terrifying art of the sword.

The magic of the moment ended when the body of a moblin fell to pieces at his feet. Link, bathed in purple blood, approached it calmly and extended his hand. Impa hesitated, looking at his bloody body, but soon accepted it and stood up.

“Thank you." She dithered; Link handed her the tablet in silence. “Ah! The sheikah tablet!" Impa shrieked, holding the device against her breast. “Oh, I have no time for this! I need to check the status of the other outposts.”

Impa observed his surroundings, analyzed the outpost and broke a scroll, a light came out of it and rose into the air like a shooting star, the orange light illuminated the area momentarily before disappearing. Nodding with satisfaction, he turned in the direction of Link, who remained silent, watching the scene behind him.

“There are still two more seats left, I guess they haven't been cleared yet". She said, pulling out one more scroll. “With my current physical condition, I'm only able to get to one of them, so I'll need some help. Could you...?” Impa left her words in the air and stretched the scroll out in Link's direction, he looked at his hand without responding. The sheikah hurried to speak. “I know it's a difficult burden, and maybe you're already exhausted, I mean, you're done with all this stuff and...”

“I will." Link cut his words and took the scroll with his bloody hands.

“Huh?” Impa snapped, then blinked a couple of times before smiling broadly. “Excellent! Well, I'll be heading northeast, so you'll have to go northwest. When you make sure the area is clear, tear up the scroll. That will inform the lookouts at the citadel fortress that we have succeeded, understood?”

“Yes." He nodded with a look of resolution.

“I am counting with you them.”

Impa and Link split up. The young Hylian guarded the parchment inside his greaves and continued wielding his sword. He could observe the rest of his compatriots diminishing the remaining forces on the plain, which made him feel relieved. The sun had already begun its descent, the sky was tinged with a beautiful lilac and bokoblin forces were becoming scarce, while the lizards scattered along the river Celeste had begun to ambush them. The spears occasionally struck the level of his armor, knocked him down into the mud and tried to drag him into the river to attack him relentlessly.

Link clenched his teeth feeling a wave of increasing pain running down his arms, his hands were shaking as he held on to the handle of his sword, sweat was blocking his vision and the sun had descended even further. He was hungry, tired, but refused to give up.

 _Only a little more_ , Link thought, as he watched the dozen lizards guarding the western outpost. His heart was pumping with excitement.

When the last lizalfos fell, neither short nor lazy, Link took the parchment from his grebe and broke it by dropping it on the inner courtyard of the small fortress. The lizalfos' fluids around him did not even bother him, he had a small smile on his face as he proudly looked up at the orange sky. He was worn out, both physically and mentally. He didn't feel like walking anymore, even though he knew he had to, his body refused to do so. With difficulty, he took out the potion he had been holding since the moment it had been given to him that morning, and dropped it on his dry lips, drinking it in one gulp.

A faint beacon of crystalline light enveloped him and stopped his bleeding, curing his fatigue enough to walk, but he did not move from the spot, he wanted to admire the sky a little more, enjoy the calm a little more. Minutes later, he stood up, picked up his sword and walked back to Hyrule Castle.

 _It's time to rest_ , he told himself as he watched the castle rise in the distance.


End file.
